CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announced Friday that an adorable female Eastern black rhino calf was born at the zoo earlier this month.
The rhino baby was born to Kibibbi, her mother, and her father, Forest, on July 9.
"Both mom, Kibibbi, and her calf are doing well and are bonding behind-the-scenes for the next few weeks," the zoo said.
According to the zoo, there are less than 750 Eastern black rhinos in the wild. Poaching and habitat loss have made their numbers dwindle to near extinction.
The zoo said it is looking for input on what name to pick for the baby rhino. The choices are:
- Ali – meaning supreme
- Anika – meaning sweet
- Dalia – meaning gentle
"Each of the names are connected to the Eastern black rhino's native regions in Africa. The calf's name will be selected based on the name that receives the highest total donation," the zoo said.
Voting goes until Aug. 5.
If you'd like to help pick the name, you can cast a vote with a donation online, here. You can also vote at the Zoo's Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve.
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